Air-moistening apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. V. WALLACE;

AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS.

No. 443,155. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

3 Sheets-Sheet '2.

(No Model.)

W. V. WALLACE. AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS.

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WWW J37 w rw WMTWMM 642% A 6M 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. V. WALLACE. AIR MOISTBNING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 23,1890;

W AMA J27 A; CZZ027474 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lVILLIr-XM V. IVALLACE, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-MOISTENING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,155, dated December 23, 1890. Application filed January 24, 1890. $erial Ni). 388,018. (No model.)

To, all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM V. W ALLACE, of Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Moistening Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention has for its object to provide simple, durable, and effective means for moistening air by discharge of fine spray or mist from a water-supply pipe or system of pipes.

The invention consists, chiefly, in an improved spray-forming device consisting of a rotary valve fittedin a seat or casing, which is provided with an opening for the escape of a stream of water, said valve or its casing, preferably the former, having a groove or grooves, preferably of varying depth, adapted to permit the passage of a stream or streams of water at a tangent to the periphery of the valve through the said opening, when the said groove is adjusted so that a portion of it is in said opening, the latter being arranged to permit the unobstructed passage of said stream or streams through it. lVhen the groove is of varying size, the size of the stream depends on the position of the valve, the varying size of the groove enabling it to supply a very fine stream or coarser stream, as may be desired. A deflecting-plate is arranged in position to break up the stream of Water discharged from the valve and convert the same into spray. A trough or receptacle is provided under the valve and deflecting-plate to receive the water that drips from the deflecting-plate and any water that may leak from the valve. The arrangement of the groove enables it to be freed from sediment by partly rotating the valve in its casing, said movement wiping 0d the valve, so to speak, or, in other words, loosening any deposits of sediment or foreign matter that may have accumulated in the groove, so that such deposits will be readily removed by the escaping water. When a number of the improved valves are arranged in one apartment as an air-moistening system, means are provided for the simultaneous ro tation of all the valves to give the described wiping or sediment removing action, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a valve and its casing embodying my invention, said figure showing also the deflecting-plate and drip-receptacle and means for rocking or rotating the valve to cause the described wiping action. Figs. 2 and 3 represent perspective views of the valve removed from the casing, the former showing one groove and the latter a series of grooves in. the periphery of the valve. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of the valve and its casing on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal section of the valve. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the valve and casing, showing an auxiliary valve wiping device. Fig.7 represents atransverse section of the valve and its casing, showinga shield or guard arranged over the valve to prevent the admission of lint and other foreign matter. Fig. 7 represents a transverse section of the valve and its casing, showing the groove made in the casing. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of a series of my improved valves and means for simultaneously rotating the same.

The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I provide a valve-casing 0., having an internal seat or socket formed to receive a cylindrical valve 1), which is adapted to rotate in the casing, said valve and its seat being preferably of tapering form, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, so that the valve can be adjusted endwise to compensate for wear.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2, 4, 6, and 7 the valve is provided with a tapering groove 0, which at one end is extremely fine, and is gradually deepened from said end until it reaches a cavity (1, formed in the periphery of the valve. The casing is provided at one side of the valve with an opening g, which exposes a port-ion of the valve, and is arranged so that the valve may be turned to bring any desired part of the groove 0 into said opening. The casing is formed to fit closely on the periphery of the valve in the vicinity of the cavity d, as shown in Fig. l. When the valve is turned so that the cavity d is covered by the casing, there is no es ill cape of water through the openingg. When the valve is turned so that the cavity (1 communicates with the water-supply and a part of groove extends into opening [7 of the 5 casing, a stream of water is discharged through said groove and through the said opening 9 against the deflecting-platej, the size of said stream being dependent upon the adjustment of the valve. If the valve be turned so that only the smallest end of the groove 0 extends into the opening g, the stream of water will be extremely minute; but if the valve be turned so that a larger portion of the groove enters said opening the stream will be correspondingly larger. The impingement of the stream thus discharged against the deflector j causes the stream to be broken up into line mist and distributed through the surrounding air. The water that accumulates on the deflector drops into a reservoir 7;, which is attached by any suitable means to the water-supply pipe i, and is located under the valve and dellecting-plate. The receptacle 7.: is preferably provided with a waste-pipe I to permit the escape of the water that falls into it.

it will be seen from the foregoing that a stream of water of any desired size can be this auxiliary wiper, as in most cases the con- 95 produced, so that the degree of moisture furtact of the valve with the casing is sufficient 3o nished may be varied as circumstances may to effect the desired wiping or clearing out require. ltwill also be seen thatby partially action. rotating the valve after .it has been standing In Fig. '7 I have shown a sheet-metal shield for some time in a given position, any de- 'u' attached by set-screw a; to the casing a and IOC posits of sediment that may have formed in arranged over the opening 9 so that it will the groove 0 will be wiped off by the movepreventthe particles of lint that may be floatment of the valve in contact with the casing ing in the air from falling into said opening or either of said parts, so that the groove will and obstructing the groove. The deflectorj be cleared and the free passage of water is here shown as connected by a pivot g with 105 through it be permitted. This adaptability an arm .2, suitably attached to the valve-casing 4.) of the valve to be cleaned by the described a. Said deflector may be supported in any wiping action is very important, because the other suitable way. Iprefer to make the valve :iine groove 0 is veryliable to become obstruct- Z) hollow, as shown in Fig. 5, and provide its ed by impurities in the water, so that without periphery with an orifice 3 to permit water to 1 I0 provision for clearing the groove the depass from the periphery of the valve into its 4.5 vice would soonbecome inoperative. I found interior, such water escaping through an orithat by giving the valve a partial rotation fice 4-, formed in one outlet the valve, asshown iirstin one direction and then in the opposite in Fig. 5. Said orifice is located near the direction the groove will be cleared of all obdelivering end of thegroove 0, so that when the I struetions. it is preferable to first rotate the valve is adjusted so that a stream is escaping valve in the direction indicated by the arrow through the groove 0 the water that may acin Fig. 6, thus causing the water-delivering cumulate on the valve within the opening 9 portions of the grooves to pass under the willfall through the orifice3withoutobstructcasings (or under the wiper r, hereinafter rcing the stream. If the valve had no opening 120 ferred to) at the left-hand side of the open- 3, the accumulating water would prevent the ing g and viewed in Fig. 0, the casing (or escape of averyfinestrean'i through the openwiper) being thus caused to force the obing g. struetions from the delivering ends of the I do not limit myself to the details of congrooves, after which the valve is turned back struction here shown, but may vary the same 12 5 to its operative position. in many ways without departing from the To permit the described rotation of the spirit of the invention.

valve I provide the latter with an arm in, The water-supply pipe i maybe suspended which maybe moved by anysuitable1neansby suitable hangers from the ceiling of the such, for example, as a wire rope 0, having room, and the waste-pipe may be connected I30 attached to it enlargements r 1', located by clamps U with the supply-pipe 2'. The

6 5 opposite sides of the arm on, so that by waste-pipe should have a sufficient pitch or movement of the rope o in one direction one inclination to enable it to carry off the waste of said enlargements will strike the arm 12! water, and for convenienceI give the supplyand turn the valve in one directioinwhile an opposite movement of the rope 0 will cause the other enlargement to strike said arm and move the valve in the opposite direction. In S I have shown aseries of theseimproved valves with a single rope o engaged in the manner described with the arms in of all the valves, said rope passing around pulleys p and being connected with the sprocket-chain q, which is engaged with a sprocket-wheel 4*,

supported by a shaft journaled in suitable l bearings and provided with a hand-lever 8, whereby the wheel 2" may be turned in either direction and caused to move the rope so as to rotate and wipe all the valves simultaneously.

In Fig. 3 l have shown a rubbing or wiping device composed of a spring arm 21, attached to a suitablyiixed support and having at its free end a rubber piece or pad 1;, which bears upon the periphery of the valve Z) at a point between the sides of the opening o, said opening being made wider in this case than in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The wiping device it serves as an auxiliary to the casing in wiping or clearing out the groove 0.

I do not limit myself, however, to the use of two may be one position water will fiowfrom a less num-- ber of grooves than when the valve is in another position.

It is obvious that the valve may have one groove of uniform depth instead of a series, and if desired the valve may have a series of grooves of varying depth. I prefer the var ing-depth groove, because I am enabled by the variation to regulate the size of the stream discharged, as above stated. If desired, the groove or grooves may be made in the casing instead of in the periphery of the valve.

Fig. '7 shows a groove 0 made in the easing, said groove being wiped by the rotation or rocking of the valve and shutoff from the water-supplyby turning the valve so that the cavity 9 is covered by the portion 5 of the casing, the lower end of the groove terminating above said portion.

I claim 1. In an air-moistening apparatus, the combination, with a valve-case. provided with inlet and outlet ports, of a turning-plug fitted therein and provided with a groove partially surrounding its circumference in the plane of the ports and of length sufficient to establish communication between the ports, and a deflector-plate secured in front of the outletport in the path of the outflowing stream, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an air-moistening apparatus, the combination, with avalve-case provided with inlet and outlet ports, of a turning-plug fitted therein and provided with a groove partially surrounding its circumference in the planeof the ports and tapering from the inlet toward the outlet port and of length sufficient to establish communicationbetween theports, and a deflector-plate secured in front of the outlet-port in the path of the outflowing stream, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an air-moisteningapparatus, the combination of a valve-casing communicating with a water-supply pipe and provided with a side opening g, a rotary valve in said casing, having a peripheral groove arranged to coincide with said opening and discharge a stream of water therethrough, and a wiper -22 in yielding contact with the periphery of the valve, as set forth.

4. In an air-moistening apparatus, the combination, with a valve-case having an outletport and an inlet-port, of a revoluble valve fitting said case and provided with a groove in its periphery adapted to be brought into communication with said ports or moved across the outlet-port by revolution of the valve, and a deflector arranged to be in line with a jet of water flowing from said groove, as and for the purposes described.

5. In an air-moisteningapparatus, the combination, with a valve-case having an outletport and an inlet-port, of a revoluble valve provided with a groove in its periphery adapted to be brought into communication with said ports, said valve having an internal chamber and a port communicatin g therewith located adjacent to the out-let end of said groove, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of November, A. D. 1889.-

IVILLIAM V. IVALLACE.

Witnesses:

E. L. HOLLEY, 'S. F. l-loLLnv. 

